National Platform for Biodiversity Research

Louise Scally

www.biodiversityresearch.ie

• Forum for scientists, policy makers and other interested stakeholders involved in the field of biodiversity research.

• Auspices of the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Environmental Protection. Administered by a secretariat (BEC Consultants Ltd).

• Wider network of biodiversity platforms that link into European initiatives through the European Platform for Biodiversity Research Strategy (EPBRS).

The aims of the platform include:

Facilitating biodiversity research in Ireland, taking into account the needs of the research community, stakeholders, policy makers and the public. Defining national biodiversity research needs Improving the exchange of information between the research community and policy makers. Linking with the EPBRS and other European and international biodiversity networks.

Invasive Species workshop

March 2011

Recommendations

Enabling Actions

• Integration of the policy environment.

• The coordination and dissemination of biodiversity data (including metadata)

• Funding of IAS research

Urgent research priorities

Risk Assessment: Species and pathways

Impact

Management

Risk Assessment: Species and pathways

• Characteristics species traits which facilitate invasions. • Habitat traits that facilitate invasions.

• Dispersal mechanisms.

• Entry point risk assessments.

• Hubs of inoculation and the development of a priori plans.

ImpactResearch to facilitate:

– Our understanding of the influence and impact of IAS within a range of habitats and sectors.

– Address control measures for IAS across a range of habitats, species and scales.

– Reduce the impact of Ireland as a donor to other countries and biogeographical provinces.

– Understand the impact of some alien invasive species on other alien invasive species.

Management – Permenanent working group to assist in the coordination of efforts to deal with the issues of IAS and to enable a rapid response.

– Inventories, including spatial distribution and temporal occurance.

– Strategies for the effective control of species identified as high risk.

– Development of indicators of the ecological & economic impacts of IAS to help prioritise management responses towards the most damaging species.

Next steps

• Receive feedback on draft document• Finalise draft document• Process of implementation

Thank You

www.biodiversityresearch.ie

lscally@biodiversityresearch.ie